I have kept a list of the restaurants I’ve been dying to try ever since I moved to Chicago. Always at the top of my list were two. Charlie Trotter’s and Alinea. This past weekend, thanks to the generosity of Eric’s parents and my mom, I was able to try both. I don’t think I’ll look back on the weekend so much as graduation weekend, as the great culinary weekend.
First, Trotter’s.
We arrived at Charlie Trotter’s a few minutes early, as we had a six o’clock reservation and were informed it would not do to be late. We were, after all, sitting at the coveted kitchen table. As a total foodie, the Charlie Trotter’s kitchen table was like something out of a dream. I have worked as a waitress before, and been in the middle of a kitchen, but this was an entirely different experience. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, we were seated in the bar area, as we were early, and our table was not yet ready. There was a minor mix up when they came to get us and a member of our party was in the restroom. We were shuffled to another waiting area, right behind the studio kitchen. Finally, we were retrieved and escorted to our table in the kitchen.
They poured complimentary Fiji water in our glasses and we chose the wine pairing as our beverage for the evening. One member of our party was underage, so they brought her a sparkling fruit beverage. Upon sitting down, I wasn’t sure what to do with my purse, but the waitress took it and placed it on a shelf.
First Course: Bento Box
included roasted red pepper dish, tuna dish, cod, cuttlefish, tempura turbot, and snails with arugula foam. The cuttlefish was my favorite, it tasted similar to octopus (no surprise there, as they’re in the same family). I was also surprised by how much flavor was imparted by the arugula foam. This was a perfect opening dish.
It became immediately apparent that the kitchen was a well-oiled machine. There was no yelling or cursing, everything was in its place and the whole place was fastidiously clean.
Second Course: Trout and Salmon
This was trout and salmon wrapped together with salmon roe, clover and vegetable broth. I always love cold, raw fish, so this was another pleaser. There were tiny crayfish sprinkled in that added a nice contrast in texture.
Third Course: Vegetables
White asparagus, morel mushroom, fava bean and purees. I am going to butcher all of these descriptions because I’m working from memory and all of the dishes were much more complex, but the restaurant is mailing us menus, and I can edit when I have a copy of the actual menu. This dish was interesting, but I don’t really care for the flavor of fava beans. Charlie Trotter’s is known for their inventive use of veggies, and they even have an entirely vegetarian tasting menu, so it was cool to see an example of that style of cooking.
Fourth Course: Soup
This was an artichoke soup with artichoke chips and potato pieces on top. The soup was poured into bowls table side. A note on the presentation: each course was presented to all 5 of us at once. The plate always came from the same side. All the plates were cleared simultaneously as well. I loved this soup, and the chip was easy to break up with a spoon. The potato pieces were like a shredded tater tot, but much more elegant.
Fifth Course: Scallops
These were slices of seared diver scallops with a strawberry sauce. This was by far one of my favorite dishes. The scallops were really tender and melted in your mouth, and the strawberries were a nice, sweet counter-point to the previous vegetable-based dishes.
Sixth Course: Cock’s Comb
This officially surpasses every other odd thing I’ve ever eaten. It takes the cake. Emily (Eric’s sister) asked me what it was, and in one of the memorable moments of the evening, I played a bit of charades with a hand gesture imitating the red “comb” that is on top of a rooster’s head. Although it was quite strange to think about, the dish was tasty. Emily didn’t make it all the way through her portion. I forget the exact seasoning, but I remember mine tasting like a grilled onion.
Seventh Course: Mackerel
Mackerel is not a fancy fish. It’s also not probably something I would ever order. This dish was a little bland in my estimation, even with the mushrooms and mushroom foam. There was a gelee (I forget what flavor). Obviously, not my favorite dish.
Eighth Course: Squab
Ah, the squab, better known as pigeon, or in my terms, winged rat. However, when you call it squab and serve it with a chocolate sauce, it can become quite elegant. The squab reminded me of quail. It was good, but I’m still not used to using chocolate in savory dishes.
Ninth Course: Elk
I love eating game. My brother and uncle both hunt, and I am used to eating the animals they kill, so I always enjoy it when a restaurant goes out on a limb and serves something a little unusual. Elk is like a much more interesting steak. This was elk loin, and it had sea salt on top. The tortellini served with it had plum filling.
Tenth Course: Beef
This was a 48-hour braised wagyu beef short rib. The sauces below it were blackberry and roasted garlic. The beef was so tender, it fell apart when you touched it with a fork. Apparently wagyu is the new kobe.
Sorbet:
In the traditional manner, sorbet was served after the savory courses, before dessert to cleanse the palate. This was the only dish I forgot to photograph. The sorbet was fenugreek flavored with celery slices on the plate.
Here’s a kitchen shot:
The chef with our head waitress:
Dessert:
There were four desserts.
The first was potato ice cream with a sliver of potato skin and a homemade marshmallow. The savory ice cream flavors are another trend I’m not sure I support. I think this would have been better with graham cracker ice cream, or at least something sweet.
This one was a chilled rhubarb soup of sorts with crumbled shortbread and white chocolate flavored frozen yogurt. Possibly my favorite of the desserts. I was surprised by how much I liked the rhubarb flavor, but the frozen yogurt was perfect.
This was the favorite of the table. It had chocolate semi-freddo, a Mexican chocolate chip, a pickled carrot, and carrot juice with a spot of red wine. Again, unlikely flavors, but this really paired well. Also, you may have noticed all of the different dishes. They stock 70 different service pieces at the restaurant, and the chef selects the plate specifically for the dish.
Another savory ice cream, olive oil flavored this time. The smashed item on the plate was olives soaked in wine, with millet seed on top. The millet added a nice crunch and reminded me of blackberries.
I can’t say I was a huge fan of any of the desserts, but I don’t like going avant garde in that arena. I’m a traditionalist and I like my dessert sweet.
To finish our meal we had coffee and a small plate of after-dinner treats.
A chocolate with dulce de leche filling, ginger gelee, a candied pistachio with dark chocolate coating and a licorice macaroon with apricot gel on top.
Then, we got the most elaborate bait and switch ever. We were offered a kitchen tour, and while walking around the kitchen, I noticed our table was being cleared. It was 9, and apparently, after three hours, it was time for the next seating of the kitchen table. They finished the tour and brought us back up front to the bar where our coats and purses were waiting for us.
prep station
garde-manger (cold-prep station)
pastry
the line, this is where all the hot food comes from.
The grill on the right is burning hickory wood, and on the left is a Japanese yakitori, where they roast meats like over a campfire, never actually setting them down. This is how the cuttlefish was prepared.
I loved the copper pots.
Overall, Charlie Trotter’s was one of the best meals of my life, and sitting in the kitchen was an absolute dream come true. I will post my review of Alinea in the coming days, and will follow that review with a comparison of the two restaurants and their respective merits.
Food- 30
Decor- (kitchen—does this count? i walked through the restaurant, and i’d say 22)
Service- 25 (for the bumble coming in and the elegant way we were tossed-dinner service was perfect)
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